


Taken: The Aftermath

by JazzyJazz98



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Baby's first smut, Birthday, Campfires, Camping, Character Development, Dating, Domestic Fluff, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fantastic Racism, First Time, Fluff, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Intimacy, Kissing, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Police, Post-Pacifist Route, Ratings: R (just to be safe), Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader-Insert, Sans Makes Puns, Slice of Life, Soul Sex, future skeledick stuff, headcanons galore, possible Papyrus x OC (idk)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-03-12
Packaged: 2018-05-18 23:22:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5947207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JazzyJazz98/pseuds/JazzyJazz98
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A continuation of sorts for Taken. </p>
<p>Thanks to your help, Frisk was saved from the villainous Monster Removal Committee. Now, you're settling down with the new friends you made during your investigation, and starting your relationship with your new skeleton boyfriend, Sans. You'll get to know him better, learn from him, love him, please him, and receive pleasure back. These are the stories of your times with that punny, big-boned skeleton.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Fever

“SANS! COME DOWNSTAIRS! BREAKFAST IS READY!”

“ugh…” groaned Sans, his hands pulling the edges of his pillow around his skull in an attempt to drown out his brother’s voice. On normal days, he didn’t mind Papyrus’ constant shouting; hell, it was one of the things he loved about him. Today, however, was not a normal day. 

Sans’ skull was pounding, a fresh wave of pain washing through him with each passing second. Despite his lack of a nose, he could feel a substance dribbling out of his nasal cavity, a substance he had to keep at bay with the occasional sniffle. Everything hurt, the air was too cold, every noise was far too loud. 

“SANS, YOU LAZYBONES!” Papyrus called again, causing Sans to wince. He heard his brother’s boots thud against the floor as he ascended the stairs and approached his bedroom. “ IT’S TIME TO GET UP!”

“pap,” Sans moaned, his voice barely louder than a whisper. He was aiming to telling his brother to leave him, that he’d get up in a few minutes, but it seemed he wouldn’t be able to. Sans’ bedroom door opened with an agonizing squeak, and the thud of the boots grew louder and louder. Sans tried his hardest to hold back a pain-filled grunt. He felt Papyrus pull the covers off him.

“WAKEY-WAKEY!” Papyrus chirped, pulling his brother into a sitting position. “COME ON NOW, OR YOU’LL MISS OUT ON MY EXCELLENT COOKING!” Papyrus then paused, now getting a good look at Sans’ face. “SANS? ARE YOU ALRIGHT? I’VE NEVER SEEN YOU SO BLUE.”

“heheh,” Sans chuckled weakly. “what can i say? it’s a very blue-tiful color. heheh…” Sans suddenly had an uncontrollable fit of coughing. The now concerned Papyrus felt his brother’s forehead.

“MY GOODNESS,” he gasped. “YOU’RE VERY HOT.”

“whoa, there, bro,” Sans struggled to say as his coughing fit ended. “that’s a little weird to say to your brother…”

“SANS, I’M SERIOUS. I’M WORRIED YOU MAY BE SICK.”

“nah.” Sans gently pushed Papyrus away, getting to his feet. He rocked gently as he recovered from a sudden spell of dizziness. “i’m fine. c’mon; you want me to try your cookin’, don’t ya?”

Papyrus watched as Sans slowly made his way out of the room. He frowned; Sans wasn’t usually one to get sick, and on the rare occasion when he did, it was nothing more than a bad cough or the sniffles. But this was an extreme case, one that concerned Papyrus greatly. Pulling his cell phone from his pocket, he dialed your number.

 

You were in the middle of your morning patrol when Papyrus called you. You cocked a brow; Papyrus never called this early. If he wanted to chat, he’d usually wait until after you were off for the day. This had to be urgent. Pulling your cruiser over onto the side of the road, you answered it, making sure to keep the phone as far away from your ear as possible.

“GOOD MORNING, UNIFORMED HUMAN,” Papyrus greeted.

“Morning, Pap,” you replied. “Is everything ok?”

“ER, NOT QUITE,” the skeleton admitted. “YOU SEE, MY BROTHER SEEMS TO HAVE COME DOWN WITH A FEVER.”

“A fever?” you echoed. “Well, if he just rests in bed and has his medicine, he should be fine, right? This sort of thing just happens, you know.”

“THAT’S THE THING: SANS HAS NEVER HAD A FEVER BEFORE.”

“Ever?” you asked in disbelief.

“NO. WHICH IS WHY I’M WORRIED. HE INSISTS THAT HE’S FINE, AND HE WON’T GO TO BED NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TELL HIM TO. I KNOW HE HANGS OUT WITH YOU DURING THE EVENINGS; PERHAPS YOU COULD, “DO ME A SOLID”, AS IT WERE, AND KEEP AN EYE ON HIM, YES?”

“O-Of course. You can count on me, Pap.”

“EXCELLENT!” you could practically hear the return of Papyrus’ smile. “THANK YOU VERY MUCH, HUMAN!”

“Don’t mention it,” you replied. “Anything for my two favorite skeletons.”

 

45 minutes had passed since you arrived at Grillby’s, and Sans was nowhere to be found. You sat at the bar, a shot of whiskey in your hand. You usually never touched alcohol, but Sans’ absence was worrying you, and you needed a way to calm yourself. Grillby, who was polishing a shot glass, glanced up at you (or, at least, that what his head movement was implying).

“Worried about Sans?” he began, his voice calm and quiet. You let out a sad chuckle. 

“It’s that obvious, huh?”

“Mmm,” Grillby nodded. 

“M-Maybe he decided not to come…”

“I’m sure he’ll show. He usually always does.”

“I hope you’re right,” you murmured, finishing your shot and pushing the glass away. Grillby set aside his old shot glass, and began cleaning yours. 

“yo. you guys talkin’ about me?”

You looked over your shoulder and saw Sans walking up to the bar. Now that you actually had a look at him, you noticed in dismay the sickly blue hue on his cheekbones. His body shook as he let out a small cough. He sat down next to you, a whoopie cushion going off. He turned to you, putting on an oblivious grin. 

“heheh,” he laughed. “what weirdo put that there?”

“You came,” you whispered.

“heh, of course. no need to you to…” he suddenly reached up, detaching his skull from his neck vertebrae. “...lose your head.” You jumped, causing the smile on the detached Sans skull to grow. “heheh, no worries, bud.” He reattached his skull.

“Ha…” you laughed slightly. “You really are a comic.”

“eh, i do my best.” He glanced at Grillby. “hey, grillbz, y’know what we want.”

Grillby dropped what he was doing and disappeared into the back room. You and Sans sat together in silence, the low hum of your fellow patrons’ conversations lingering behind you. You glanced at Sans out of the corner of your eye. His eyesockets were closed, and you could see beads of sweat forming in his brow. He tugged at his hoodie, pulling it tighter against his subtle, shivering body. You looked over at him.

“You ok?” you asked cautiously. Sans scoffed.

“course i am,” he lied. “why ya askin’? He suddenly let out a few coughs that he tried to muffle with his hand (with little success). You touched his arm gently.

“Sans…” you cooed. “If you’re not feeling well, we can meet up some other time.”

“c’mon, ____, i’m fine. i’m…” he paused, taking a few deep breaths. You noticed that his face had gotten a darker shade of blue. How Sans could continue to smile as if all was well, you weren’t sure. But you were starting to become afraid of your boyfriend’s lack of concern towards his own well being. You reached over, wrapping your arm around his shoulders.

“Sans, I don’t want to see you like this. I...I’m taking you home. We can take our meals to go, but we can’t stay here.”Sans laughed weakly. You noticed him falling over against the bar, his arm slipping under his head. His eyesockets closed, and before you knew it, you heard him snoring. You stared at him, baffled. Did he just fall asleep?”

“Oh dear,” you heard Grillby murmur. You turned to the fire-man, seeing him holding two bags that no doubt had yours and Sans’ meals in them. How he knew to do that, you weren’t sure. “He’s passed out. This is serious.” He handed you the bags of food. “Get him home. Don’t worry about paying; it’s on the house.” You nodded gratefully. 

“Thank you, Mr. Grillby.”

 

Sans’ eyesockets opened, gazing up at the dark ceiling of his bedroom. He was unsure of where he was or how long he had been out, but one thing was certain: something smelled delicious. Sans wanted to get up; he didn’t care about some fever; he refused to be bedridden and leave his brother to work in his stead. As lazy as he was, his brother’s well being was top priority. Sans struggled, but eventually managed to sit up. Immediately he regretted it when he was hit with a splitting headache. To add to the pain, his bones were aching all over. He had no choice but to return to his lying position. As annoyed as Sans was, he knew that this fever was no one’s fault but his own, and such fevers were going to be the common for the rest of his life.

Cre-e-e-eak…

Sans’ lifted his head, just barely able to see the opening door. You entered the room, a bowl of hot tomato soup in your hands. 

“Oh good, you’re awake,” you said quietly. You came over, sitting down on Sans’ mattress. Sans, ignoring his pain, pulled himself up into his sitting position.

“____?” he murmured. “what are ya doin’ here?”

“I took off of work today to take care of you while Papyrus is at work,” you replied. “I was just about to come wake you; you need to eat something.”

“Ah, ____, ya don’t gotta do this for me,” Sans argued.

“Oh, hush. It’s no trouble.” You scooped a spoonful of soup. “Say “ahh”.”

As much as Sans wanted to refuse, he was quite hungry. And the tomatoey smell was too enticing to pass up. Reluctantly, he parted his teeth, allowing you to feed him the soup. The soup somehow vanished within him, and a warm feeling filled his body. He stared into your eyes, seeing a comforting glow within them. He could help but laugh gently.

“soup’s good,” he commented.

“Thanks,” you replied. “I would’ve made chicken noodle soup, but this seemed more appropriate.” A silence lingered between the both of you as you continued feeding your boyfriend. It lasted for a few long minutes, before Sans sighed.

“ya shoulda just gone to work,” he said. “i would’ve been fine on my own.” You sighed in exasperation.

“Sans, please don’t start.” You set down the bowl, reaching for Sans’ hand and carefully holding it. You gazed at his mattress gloomily. “Just let me help you. Please.” Sans prepared to speak, but quickly decided against it. He didn’t want to push you away, he really didn’t...but you’d be torn to pieces if you knew the truth. Sans looked down, his hand tightening around yours ever so slightly.

“sorry, eh?”

“It’s ok, Sans. But...why? Why don’t you want help? Why do you just shrug being sick off like it’s nothing?”

Fuck, thought Sans. He formulated a vague response in his head, one that would sting a hell of a lot less than the truth. But when he looked up at you, seeing the concern and love you held in your eyes, he realized that whatever he said would sting just as badly.

“look, i’ll tell ya,” he finally said. “but trust me; i don’t think you're gonna like it.”

“I can handle it, I’m sure.”

“alright.” Sans took a deep breath. “the truth is, this is the first time i’ve ever been this sick.”

“Really?” you said in surprise.

“yep. usually, i just get a cough or a few sneezes, and i’m better after a couple o’ hours. but it seems that’s changed now.”

“Do you know why?”

“yeah...it’s because i gave you half of my soul.” Sans looked away, avoiding seeing the look of shock that appeared on your face. “i’ll explain. a monster’s soul determines how they work. a weak soul makes ‘em physically weaker, and a strong soul makes ‘em physically stronger. i’d always been weak. everyone, even papyrus, is much stronger than me. when we gave ya part of our soul, the others gave ya smaller bits that were strong enough to heal ya all together. like i said, it was a risky thing for all of us to do, since, even the strongest of monsters is weaker than a human. my soul was so weak, that i gave a much larger piece of my soul to match the strength of everyone else’s pieces. now i only have half of the original strength i once had, which wasn’t much to begin with. now i’ll get sicker and tired more often, and i can get hurt a lot easier than before.” Sans dared to look up at you. On your face was a look of sympathy and guilt, the latter he dreaded seeing. “that look right there is why i didn’t wanna tell ya.”

“Sans…” you whispered, a stinging sensation forming in your eyes. “Oh my God...this is all my fault…”

“no,” said Sans quickly. “it’s really not. i chose to give ya so much of my soul.”

“But if I hadn’t gotten shot, you wouldn’t have had to.”

“that wasn’t your fault. you know that wasn’t your fault.”

“I know, it’s just…” you trailed off as hot tears rolled down your cheeks. Sans reached out and touched your cheek, wiping a tear away with his thumb phalanx. 

“c’mon, don’t start cryin’, ____. i don’t like seein’ my goofball cry.” Your hand touched his.

“Sorry...I’m sorry…”

“hey...it’s ok…” Sans suddenly grunted as you wrapped your arms around him. Your head buried itself into San’s warm neck vertebrae, you lips grazing against his smooth bone. You heard him sigh gently in response. His hands wrapped around you, hugging you back.

“Sans,” you mumbled. “I caused this; i’m going to help you.”

“heh…” laughed Sans. “is there anythin’ i can say to change your mind?”

“Nope.”

“heheh...thought not...alright, knock yourself out.”

“Thank you. And Sans?”

“hmm?”

“Don’t be afraid to tell me what’s wrong. I’ll do my best to help you. I promise.” You pulled away slightly, kissing his cheekbone. “Love you.”

You could feel Sans’ smile grow ever so slightly. “heh...thanks, buddo. love ya too.”


	2. Something Intimate

Sans liked to consider himself a man with low libido. He just didn’t get horny very often, which suited him just fine. But, as a being whose species relied on reproduction to survive, Sans did have his moments. There were times when he needed relief, which he would find with a quick touch of his pelvic bone in the wee hours of the night. But that was then, when he was single. Now, he had you.

As much as the skeleton didn’t want to admit it, there were those days where he fantasized about you. He would imagine how your body would feel against his, how your hands would feel on his bones, how your entrance would feel when he stuck his...But, he could never ask you to do those things for him. After all the shit your step-father had put you through, how could he ask to use your body for his pleasure? And what about you? Sex would most likely make you very uncomfortable. No, Sans’ desires for your body could only be obtained in his late-night fantasies. However, there was an alternative, one a little less physical, one that was not tainted by your step-father’s evil...one that involved the soul... Sans wanted to introduce this to you, and maybe, just maybe, find something for you both to enjoy.

It was the end of a pasta and puzzle-filled night with the skelebros. You sat quietly in the living room, your eyes glued to the television as Sans led Papyrus upstairs to be put to bed. Once Papyrus was fast asleep, Sans returned, staring at you intensely as he descended the stairs. He walked behind the couch and paused behind you. His soul throbbed in anticipation for what he was planning. He could do it now...he could make his move, and hope that you’d be willing to give his idea a chance. Slowly, he reached out to you with a quivering hand. Suddenly, you turned around, causing Sans to quickly retract his hand.

“Hey,” you said, eyeing him curiously. “What are you doing? You’re not trying to spook me, are you?”

“heh,” laughed Sans nervously, a bead of sweat forming at the top of his cranium. “nah. i don’t spook unless spooken to.” Blue stained his cheekbones as you chuckled. “heheh...uh, i’m gonna get somethin’ to drink...ya want anythin’?”

“I’m good, but thanks for asking.”

“heh, no problem, bud.”

With that, Sans retreated to the kitchen. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding (odd, considering he didn’t need to breathe). He grabbed some ketchup from the fridge, sighing. It was no wonder he was still a virgin. No matter how raunchy his thoughts or jokes were, the possibility of doing the actual deed never failed to make the big-boned skeleton blush. Maybe he should just give up, go to bed and please himself there. The majority of him badly wanted to do that, but there was that small bit of him that still had hope that maybe things could work out for the better. Sans sighed again.

“fuck it.”

He returned to the living room and walked behind the couch, stopping behind you. His arms wrapped around your shoulders, and his teeth grazed your cheek as passionately as any normal kiss. He felt you stiffen, and your skin increase in temperature. This was it; there was no turning back now.

“____…” he purred in your ear, the low, sensual tone in his voice giving you goosebumps.

“S-Sans,” you gasped, your heart pounding in your chest. Was this...was he trying to…? His hands went down, stopping on your chest, feeling the pulsation. 

“may i?” he asked, his index phalanx tracing a heart-shape on the fabric of your shirt. You put two and two together: he wanted to see your soul. Your body shook; despite your trust in Sans, you were a bit afraid by this sudden request. As if sensing your discomfort, Sans pulled his hands back to your shoulders. “if you’re nervous, that’s ok. i’m not gonna force ya to do somethin’ ya don’t want to do.”

“No,” you whispered. “I-It’s fine.”

“ya sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“ok…” Sans’ hand returned to your chest. Slowly, he pulled out your soul, a protective, blue aura surrounding it. Its red glow, mixed with the glow of the aura, caused the living room to become a dark shade of purple. You watched as Sans reach out with his index finger, and touched the top of your heart-shaped essence. A sudden wave of...something...rushed through you, and you bit your lip to hold back the cry you wanted to let out. It wasn’t painful, far from it, but instead...oh...oh, God, it felt nice...Sans’ finger trailed down the side of your soul. The feeling buzzed through you, mimicking Sans’ touch and traveling lower down your body. 

“Oh, sh--,” you cut yourself off with your hand, your cheeks feeling like a blazing inferno. You wanted to yell out, but you couldn’t. For one, Papyrus was sleeping upstairs and you didn’t want to wake him, but also because, it just didn’t feel right. This was so foreign to you; was it even right for you to feel this way? The feeling suddenly vanished as Sans pulled his finger away.

“is everything ok?” Sans asked, his voice laced with concern. 

“I...I don’t know…” you replied breathlessly. “It feels...it feels…”

“good?” 

“Amazing. But...I don’t know if this is right.”

“trust me, it’s normal for ya to enjoy this. that’s how it’s s’posed to be. it’s not s’posed to hurt, or make ya cry, or make ya feel like crap. ____, i wanna show ya what it’s s’posed to be like, if you’ll let me.”

You looked back at Sans, seeing the warm glow in his eyesockets. You were immediately hit with a wave of trust; you knew Sans wouldn’t hurt you, but wanted what was best for you. You smiled gently.

“Please.”

That was all Sans needed to hear. Before you knew it, you were in Sans’ bedroom. You were sitting with the skeleton on his mattress, facing each other. Your pulsating soul hovered in front of you, no longer wearing its blue aura, filling the dark room with a bright, red light. In front of you, Sans had a hand on his own chest, but he looked very nervous.

“Sans?” you murmured, worried. The stout skeleton laughed nervously.

“heh, sorry...uh, i’ve never done this with someone else...it’s, uh, kinda intimate, y’know?”

“Yeah,” you couldn’t help but chuckle as well. You took his other hand. “It’ll be ok...right?”

“yeah...it’ll be just fine, bud.”

With that, Sans pulled out his own soul, the familiar blue color that matched his auras. The room became that same purple tint the living room had once been. You gazed at the blue heart, your brow furrowing when you saw the gaping hole in its center, a permanent reminder of his sacrifice to heal you. You didn’t even wait for Sans to speak before you reached out and touched the damaged soul. The skeleton’s eyesockets clamped shut, and he let out a low, amorous grunt.

“ah, fuck…” he chuckled breathlessly. “gettin’ a little...handsy...are we?” Turning a deep crimson from Sans’ reaction, you pulled your hand away.

“I’m sorry,” you apologized. 

“nah, it’s cool,” Sans mumbled. “that felt great. mmm...c’mere…” Sans took your soul, as well as his own, pushing them closer together. They began throbbing, exposing the lingering feeling of excitement. You felt the tingle of Sans’ essence grow stronger with each passing second, before finally, your souls touched. 

“Shit!” you cried, lurching forward, your hands squeezing Sans’ shoulders. Sans ribcage rose and fell quickly as small, raspy breaths escaped his strained smile.

“y-you doin’ ok, babe?” he whimpered, his bones clinking as a shiver ran through his skeletal frame. 

“Y-Yes,” you moaned. “Oh, oh, yes…”

“we don’t need to stop?”

“N-No, please don’t s-stop.”

With that, Sans brought the souls together again, letting their essences mix and mingle with each other, filling you and Sans with shared bursts of ecstasy all throughout your bodies. You threw your head back, mouth open in a silent scream of pleasure. This feeling...God, what a feeling...you never thought you’d want to feel the touch of a man in the mood again, but Sans had awakened you, and showed you what love, not lust, felt like. Now, you didn’t want it to stop. This was right, this was perfect, this was what you had been missing for so long. You fell forward, your body colliding into Sans’, and pulling him down onto the mattress, the springs letting out a squeak of protest. Sans wrapped his arms around your back, and you did the same to him. Your souls were caught in between your chests; in order for the pleasure to continue, you’d have to work for it.

Another squeal came from the mattress as you moved your body, your chest rubbing against Sans’ chest, and by extension, his soul. The orgasmic wave shot through you both again, forcing another list of obscenities to fill the air. Blue-colored sweat was running down Sans’ skull, his hot breaths landing on the skin of your neck. You quivered at each sensual huff, and it drove you on, grinding your chest into Sans’ and unleashing even more bursts of bliss through you. Pressure was building up in your nether regions, and your heart began to race, not out of eagerness for sexual release, but out of genuine panic. Your pleased moans morphed into fear-filled whimpers. 

“I can’t do this,” you suddenly announced, bringing Sans from a state of euphoria to a state of concern. You both sat up, your souls distancing from each other, retreating to the safety of your chests, leaving you with only Sans’ pinpricks as a light source. Sans watched you carefully, watching as you took in deep breaths to calm yourself down. Only then did Sans reach forward, taking hold of your wrist.

“you ok?” he asked you in a calm, soothing tone. You nodded slowly. “what happened, bud?”

“It started h-hurting…” you explained quietly. Your eyes fell to the mattress. “It...it always hurt when I was about to…” You began chewing your bottom lip, a tear forcing its way down your cheek. Sans reached up, brushing away the tear.

“shh...it’s ok, babe. i understand.”

“I’m sorry…You probably really wanted this, and I…”

“don’t say that. who cares what i want, eh? i’m more worried about you.” Sans pulled you a bit closer, his teeth pressing against your cheek. “hey...i’m proud of ya.”

“Proud of me?” you echoed.

“mmm-hmm. i’m glad you could trust me to do this with ya, and for not pushin’ yourself to doin’ somethin’ ya don’t want.”

You sighed. “I wish I wasn’t so afraid. I really want to do this with you. I want to feel good with you.”

“i know, babe. we can try again when you’re ready.”

You wrapped your arms around Sans, pulling him into a gentle hug. Your lips pressed against his growing smile.

“Thank you, Sans.”

“don’t mention it, babe.” Sans yawned, laying down on the mattress. “welp, i dunno know about you, but i think i’m gonna hit the hay. since you’re up here,” he patted his ribs. “you can join me. we can go on a date to dreamland.” He winked at you, causing you to laugh.

“Sounds like fun,” you said. “Sure, I’ll join you.”

You rested your head on Sans’ chest, already hearing the skeleton snoring. You sighed again.

“Someday, I’ll be ready…”

Closing your eyes, you let the gentle thump-thump-thump of Sans’ soul lull you to a deep sleep.


	3. Into The Woods pt 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's actually part one of a two part story. The first half's about camp shenanigans, but the second, it gets pretty deep with a journey through the Underground. Sorry for the long wait; I have a very bad problem with coming up with ideas and then not knowing how to carry them out. :P
> 
> (also magical skeledick foreshadowing ftw)

Your childhood had not been a very happy time, what with your stepfather, a lack of friends, an abundance of bullies, and your overall introverted personality. But to say it had been 100% terrible would be a lie; fate had been nice enough to throw you a bone every once in a while. When you were 13, your mother had decided that spending your summers crammed up inside everyday was probably not very good for you, and signed you up for summer camp. For seven weeks of summer, you spent time in the woods with other teenagers, sleeping in a tent, eating s’mores at a campfire, and being sucked dry by mosquitoes, typical camping stuff. A few asshole kids aside, it was a genuinely fun experience. So when Toriel invited you to join her and the others for a camping trip over the weekend, you were quick to say yes. 

The location was the Ebott Forest, a forest bordering the legendary mountain. It was a four hour drive, and you arrived late Friday evening. After setting up camp and having a quick dinner over a fire, everyone retired to their tents. It was now early Saturday morning, and the sun’s rays were just barely peaking over the horizon. The campsite was silent. Not a creature was stirring except for two. The first stood at the center of the camp, her hands on her hips. She flashed a grin at her tired companion and nodded, which he responded to by bringing a trombone to his hips...er...teeth.

 

Your body sprang to an upright position as “Reveille”, echoed through the quiet campsite. For a moment, you were in a daze. Were you back in summer camp, being torn from a pleasant slumber by the camp counselor? You glanced over, seeing John wrapping his pillow over his head. Nope. You definitely weren’t at summer camp.

Slipping out of your sleeping bag, you peered outside, seeing Undyne going from tent to tent, shouting for her friends to “get their asses outside”. Sans was also there, playing his trombone, his head nodding slightly as if he would fall asleep in mid-note. You laughed slightly; honestly, with Undyne’s pumped up attitude, this military-style wakeup call wasn’t much of a surprise. Beside you, John groaned.

“Ugh,” he grumbled. “Make it stop…”

“Sorry, John, but it’s time to get up,” you said to him. “C’mon. Let’s go.”

John groaned again, but you simply pulled him out of his sleeping bag and outside. Alphys, Papyrus, Asgore and Frisk had made their way outside, still dressed in their pajamas and rubbing the sleep from their eyes.

“Undyne,” Asgore began, yawning. “Did you have to wake us up /this/ early?”

“Pshh, of course,” scoffed the fish woman. “We need to make the most out of our camping trip, so we gotta wake up super early! I’m takin’ you punks on a pre-breakfast hike!”

“THAT SOUNDS GREAT, UNDYNE!” Papyrus exclaimed, picking up his brother (who had fallen asleep, hugging his trombone tightly). “DESPITE SOME OF US LACKING THE ABILITY TO DO SO, IT’LL BE GOOD TO GET OUR BLOOD PUMPING!”

“A-And I suppose it’ll w-work up our appetites for when we c-come back…” added Alphys.

“Exactly,” Undyne said, her hands on her hips. She glanced over at Asgore and Frisk. “Hey, where’s Toriel? She can’t miss out on this!” The boss monster rubbed at the back of his neck, looking very uncomfortable. 

“Er...I think it’d be best if Tori sits this activity out,” he began. “Not to be rude, but...she’s not very friendly if she’s woken up this early…”

“Oh,” the fish woman murmured. Her smile suddenly reappeared as quickly as it vanished. “Well that’s fine; we’ll catch up with her later. As for the rest of you guys, go get dressed!”

Everyone retreated to their tents to get into their hiking gear. John fell face-first onto his sleeping bag.

“I just wanna go back to sleep…” he moaned into his pillow. You reached over, patting his back.

“I know, I know, but think of it this way: we could use the exercise. And besides, if you don’t come, Undyne’ll probably drag you through the forest by your leg.”

“Don’t care.”

“Oh?” you slowly smirked. “Well, what about Papyrus? He’ll be sad if you don’t come.” John was silent for a moment, and your smirk grew. In the months that passed since you introduced John to your monster friends, Papyrus seemed to be growing on him. Sure, John would make excuses that he was afraid of what Sans would do if he refused to appease the tall skeleton, but something told you that wasn’t entirely the case. John propped himself up on his elbows, giving you an annoyed glance.

“Alright, fine,” he grumbled. “I’ll come, but only because I don’t want Mr. Bad Time coming after me.”

“Yeah, suuure…” you rolled your eyes.

 

The sky was a cornflower blue when you, John, the skelebros, Alphys, Asgore and Frisk followed Undyne onto the hiking trail. The air was rich with the songs of birds, the buzzing of bees, and the croaks of Froggits. Undyne leapt from rocks and swung from low-hanging branches; her energy was endless. She picked up a massive boulder and suplexed it for no reason except she was Undyne, and she did what she wanted. Papyrus and Alphys gazed at the athletic fish woman in admiration, while Asgore had a subtle look of pride on his fluffy face. 

“Still as lively as she was when she was young,” Asgore commented. He looked to you and John. “I can still remember those days. She was a rather adorable child then.” Undyne’s head snapped back, the scales on her cheeks a deep crimson.

“Asgore!” She exclaimed hotly. “Don’t tell ‘em that!”

Forgive me,” Asgore chuckled. “But I have to admit, you were the cutest little fry back then.”

“heh, hey, speakin’ of fry…” Sans spoke up.

“SANS, DON’T YOU DARE!” Papyrus shouted. 

“we could fry food on undyne’s cheeks right now, they’re so hot.”

There was a mixed chorus of groans and laughs as Sans shrugged, laughing at his little play-on-words. Beside you, you could hear John laugh softly. You turned to him, seeing the smile forming on his face. You smiled as well, happy that John was enjoying himself. You could hardly believe he was the same person who nearly got you killed and hated you for loving monsters. Now, he was smiling and laughing with them, treating them the same as he’d treat any human. You were...proud of him, to be honest.

Frisk’s voice brought you from your thoughts as they announced that they could see a cluster of blueberry bushes. The child rushed to the bushes eagerly, plucking a berry off the one of the bushes and bringing it to their lips. 

“Hold on, Frisk,” Asgore called, a look of alarm on his face. “Those may not be safe.”

“Don’t worry, Asgore,” you said. “Those are blueberries. I’m guessing blueberries didn’t grow in the Underground, huh?”

“Never,” Asgore replied. “Are they good?”

“I think so, but don’t take my word for it. Try some.”

You and the others joined Frisk as the berry bush cluster, picking berries off and eating them. Their sounds of enjoyment were enough to let you know that they agreed with your claim. 

“WHAT’S THIS WHITE STUFF ON MINE?” Papyrus asked, eyeing his blueberry curiously. John was quick to take it out of his hand.

“That’s bird poop,” he replied, tossing it aside and handing Papyrus his own blueberry. “Here, have this one instead.”

“nice one, kid,” Sans commented. “You just saved pap from a really,” he winked. “crappy experience.”

“ARGH!” roared Papyrus in annoyance.

 

After eating a crapton of blueberries (and picking some for later), you were all headed back to camp for breakfast. Your mouth and hands were stained blue, and it was pretty hard to clean off. Standing at the back of the group, you stuck your fingers in your mouth, licking and sucking slowly to get the juice stains off. You suddenly felt a stare burn into you. You glanced to the side, your eyes meeting Sans’ pinpricks. He had been watching you, for what reason, you weren’t sure. The skeleton had a deep blue blush on his cheekbones. You cocked a brow.

“You ok?” You asked him.

“uh, yeah,” Sans replied, smiling awkwardly at you. “those blueberries were pretty good, eh?”

“Definitely.” You ran your tongue over your fingers again, oblivious to the agony glowing in Sans’ eyesockets. It took all of Sans’ willpower to keep his magic from seeping down to his crotch and possibly form a glowing, blue bulge behind the fabric of his shorts.

 

Dinner rolled around after a few more hours of hiking and exploring the monster-filled woods. The warm, orange fire glowed in the darkness, and the stars glistened in the celestial plane like billions of heavenly diamonds. Tonight’s menu was hot dogs (and hot cats), spaghetti, instant ramen, and a special blueberry pie made by Toriel. But dinner didn’t stop there, oh no, after the blueberry pie was eaten, you rushed to your tent and returned with a bag of chocolate bars, graham crackers and marshmallows.

“Hope you guys saved room for S’mores,” you said excitedly.

“S’MORES?” Papyrus echoed. “WHAT ARE THEY?” He then looked a bit nervous. “DO WE HAVE TO WATCH OUT FOR BIRD POOP?”

“No, silly,” you laughed. “They’re like little sandwiches. I used to make them all the time when I went to summer camp. Here, I’ll show you.”

Carefully, you assembled a s’more, a goofy smile forming on your face as you remembered your camping days. You heard your friends giggle at you, and it only made you want to smile more. Your friends...they really brought out the best in you…

After your s’more was done, the others followed your lead. Aside from Papyrus and Asgore nearly burning their marshmallows and an abundance of dessert-themed puns from Sans, things went pretty smoothly. As everyone ate their s’more, you spoke.

“You know, we usually tell stories at during campfire dinner if anyone’s interested in hearing one.” There was a hum of agreement. “Alright..uh, should it be a silly story or a scary story?”

“Scary,” said Undyne. “Because none of us are punks.”

“But not too scary,” warned Toriel. You thought you could see her eyes dart in Papyrus’ direction as she spoke.

“Alright,” you said, racking your brain for some moderately scary stories from summer camp. When you found one, you cleared your throat. “Here’s a good one: the story of the Big Toe. One day, a boy was digging in his mother’s garden, when he found a big toe in the dirt. He pulled at it, but it seemed to be stuck to something. After a few good tugs, it came off in his hands. There was a groan, and the sound of something scampering away. The boy paid it no mind, and went inside, showing his mother the toe and having her cook it for dinner.”

“WAIT A MINUTE,” Papyrus interrupted. “HUMANS EAT TOES FOR DINNER!?”

“No, Papyrus, just this family, for some strange reason,” you answered.

“Th-That doesn’t sound very s-sanitary,” Alphys pointed out.

“I know, but let’s try not to think about it.”

“Wouldn’t that make ‘em cannibals, though?” asked Undyne.

“Well, I guess so…”

“maybe they just toe-tally enjoy the taste of toes.” Sans joked.

“SANS, YOU’RE NOT HELPING!”

“Now, now,” Toriel began. “I believe this story is not meant to be 100% true to reality.”

“Yes, thank you, Toriel,” you said gratefully. “Just don’t think about it too hard guys. Now where was I?”

“Toe cannibalism,” John said.

“Oh, right. So, the boy’s father came home for dinner that night and divides the toe into three pieces, one for him, one for the boy, and one for the boy’s mother. They eat, do the dishes and then go to bed. But as the boy went to sleep that night, he could hear a voice calling to him.” You cleared your throat, and said, in the scariest voice you could muster:

“Where is my t-o-o-o-o-o-o-oe?”

“The boy was frightened, but said in his head, “He doesn’t know where I am. He won’t find me”. The boy then heard footsteps going through his living room, through his kitchen, towards the stairs…”

“Where is my t-o-o-o-o-o-o-oe?”

“The boy threw his blankets over his head, shivering as he heard the footsteps climb up the stairs and walk down the corridor.”

“Where is my t-o-o-o-o-o-o-oe?”

“The bedroom door squeaked open, and the footsteps approached the boy’s bed. Whatever was in the boy’s room was standing right above him, standing over his covered body.”

“Where is my t-o-o-o-o-o-o-oe?”

You paused. The sounds of the crackling fire echoing in the night.

“The creature reached out his hands, opened his large, fanged mouth, and said…”

You paused again, a bit longer than you did before. Suddenly, you turned, grabbing Frisk, who was sitting next to you.

“YOU HAVE IT!” You roared, pulling the child into your lap and tickling them. Your sudden shift in volume caused everyone to jump in slight panic, but the sight of you tickling Frisk replaced the fear with laughter. 

“Alright,” Undyne began. “That was pretty good.” She then smirked. “But I bet I can tell a better story.”

“I WANT TO TELL ONE TOO!”

And just like that, the rest of dinner was spent telling campfire stories around the fire, marshmallows roasting over the flames and chocolate melting over graham crackers. 

 

“What a day,” you yawned as you prepared to get in your sleeping bag. “I’m pretty sure I lost a few pounds with all the walking Undyne made us do.”

“Mmm-hmm,” murmured John. You glanced over at him, seeing him staring up contemplatively at your tent’s ceiling. You cocked a brow.

“What’s the matter?” You asked.

“Nothing. I’m just thinking.”

“Care to share?” John looked at you, a look of total seriousness on his face. 

“You ever wonder what it was like inside Mount Ebott?” he asked you. “To be...so out of touch with the rest of the world?”

“I can imagine it was pretty rough,” you said, laying down, your elbow propping you up a bit. “I mean, just imagine, a whole race of creatures forced to live in one mountain. Resources were limited, hell, some were probably nonexistent. If they didn’t know what blueberries or s’mores were, imagine the other stuff they’ve missed.”

“I just wish I could see it,” John whispered. “I want to visit their world.”

“Well, this forest is surrounding Mount Ebbot. We could, if you want, give it a visit. It’ll only take a few hours, and I know about forest safety, so we shouldn’t run into any trouble.”

You and John locked eyes as the man thought it over.

“Well, I don’t see why not.”

With that, you and John were redressed in your old clothes. Grabbing a map and some flashlights, you exited the tent. Crickets chirped and Whimsums hovered in the moonlight. Soft snores came from the other tents. Quietly, you and John tiptoed through the site to avoid waking anyone, and made your way into the woods. Five minutes after your departure, one of the tents zipped open, and Sans emerged from it. He gazed in the direction you and John left in, shoved his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, and silently followed.


	4. Into The Woods pt 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part two of the camping story where we get deep (literally) into the Underground. Enjoy! Also, we get a little cameo from our favorite little homicidal flower. :)

Huh...you hadn’t expected a fall to end so...softly. 

You were lying on your back amid a bed of golden flowers, staring up at the hole you fell through. You were in a bit of a daze, wondering just how you managed to get into this situation. Were you really that clumsy? How the hell did you not see that huge vine on the ground? You realized it didn’t matter; you were in the Underground now. You sat up, glancing at John, who was lying face-down beside you.

“John,” you whispered, shaking him. “John, you alright?”

John slowly got up, shaking the flower petals that had gotten caught in his hair.

“Yeah,” he replied. He glanced down at the flower bed beneath him. “Good thing these were here, or we’d be going home in a body bag.” 

Carefully, you both got up, pulling out your flashlights that luckily survived the fall. White beams of light illuminated the darkness. You appeared to be in a dark room, with a path that led to another room. You looked at John.

“Ready?” You asked him.

“As I’ll ever be.”

With that, you and John moved forward, walking into the next room. Like the previous one, it was very dark, aside from a pool of moonlight seeping in from the ceiling. The moonlight fell on a single flower.

“Howdy!” he greeted you as you approached, a cheerful smile on his “face”. 

John gasped, and you looked down in surprise. A monster still lived down here? You both knelt down to get a better look at the talking buttercup.

“My name’s Flowey,” the flower continued. “Flowey the flower. Golly, it’s been a while since I’ve seen someone down here.” The flower winked playfully. “Since you guys are newbies to the Underground, someone oughta show ya how things work around here.”

Before you could say anything, everything got dark aside from the flower. Your soul was forced out of your chest, against your control. Beside you, John’s soul did the same, a little pale green heart hovering near your red one. 

“See those hearts?” asked Flowey. “Those are your souls, the very culmination of your beings.” You wanted to tell Flowey that you knew what souls were, but you kept silent; after all, John didn’t know any of this. “They start off weak, but you can make them stronger with LV. What’s LV? Why, LOVE, of course!”

LOVE? You couldn’t help but smirk. How cute. 

“You want some LOVE, don’tcha?” Flowey winked. “Well, down here, LOVE is shared through little, white…” He suddenly conjured some small, white, seed-like things. ““Friendliness pellets…””

Now, you weren’t one to make assumptions about monsters you barely new (there was enough of that already going on), but something just didn’t sit right with you. You stared at the “friendliness pellets” as they began to approach your soul. John’s soul was pounding; he was nervous, and for once, you kinda felt the same. Together, you dodged the approaching pellets. Flowey lost his friendly smile, and gained a rather sinister-looking smirk.

“Hey, fellas,” he said, annoyance seeping into his voice. “You missed ‘em. Let’s try again, shall we?”

“Thank you, but I think we’ll be fine,” you said. “After all, there’s nothing down here that can hurt us.”

You immediately realized it was a mistake to say that when the flower flashed you a sharp-toothed smile.

“Is that so?”

A ring of the white pellets surrounded the souls. John cried out in fear.

“Wh-What’s happening!?” he demanded. You took his arm, trying desperately to calm him down. He saw through your ruse; he knew you were terrified as well.

“Your souls are mine!” declared Flowey as the ring began closing in on your souls, the flower letting out a hideous, high-pitched cackle. The pellets grew closer, and closer, and closer, until finally...they stopped. A shield of bones surrounded your souls, taking the hit. Flowey’s sneer vanished, being replaced with a look of confusion.

“alright, alright, enough o’ that.”

You and John looked back, seeing Sans appear from the darkness.

“now,” the skeleton continued. “why don’tcha make like a tree, and leaf?”

“Piss off, Smiley Trashbag,” Flowey hissed in a demonic voice.

“‘scuse me?” A Gasterblaster appeared by Flowey’s head, it’s maw open. Flowey jumped at the sight of it.

“A-Alright, I’m goin’!” he snapped, vanishing into the earth below. A second passed as you and John calmed yourselves down. 

“you guys alright?” Sans asked as he approached.

“Yeah,” you replied. “Thanks, Sans.”

“don’t mention it.”

“Who...was that guy?” asked John.

“let’s just say he’s an interestin’ lil’ guy. he’s not a monster, hell, he doesn’t even have a soul. he’s...well...he’s a long story. so, uh, you guys wanted to check out the underground, eh?”

“Yeah. You followed us?”

“just makin’ sure nothin’ bad happened to ya...like gettin’ your souls stolen by a flower.”

“We appreciate it,” John said. He then stared at the heart hovering in front of him. “Uh...sp this is a soul?”

“yep. don’t worry; ____ was pretty surprised to see theirs, too. it’s not everyday ya get to see your own soul.”

“Is there anyway to put it back? I, uh, don’t want anyone else trying to take it.”

“heheh, i’ve gotcha, kid.”

With a blue aura, the soul was pushed back into John’s chest. It was decided Sans would accompany you on your journey through the Underground, since he spent his whole life down here, and would know it like the back of his hand. You and John followed Sans into the next room. It was a large contrast from the previous room, in that it had pleasant shades of purple on the walls. Sans ascended some nearby stairs, watching as you and John looked around in awe.

“What is this place?” you asked.

“this is the ruins,” replied Sans. “this was where monsters used to live when they were first sealed down here. i’ll admit, i’ve never actually been in here before. monsters moved outta this place by the time i was born. guess all of us’ll learn somethin’ new, eh?”

Following Sans upstairs, you and John entered the next room. There was a puzzle, one you assumed opened the door ahead. After a few attempts to solve it, the door opened, and you carried on. Down the hallways you walked, the empty remains of what were once indoor canals scattered here and there. Decaying, orange leave made a carpet along the floor, and they crinkled gently as you walked over them. After a few more puzzles (one of which almost led to death by spikey floor), you reached a cozy-looking house. You entered, seeing the home’s empty interior. The rooms were completely empty, any furniture they once had moved out. Amid the dusty scent was a very faint scent of cinnamon and butterscotch. Down the stairs you went, into the basement, until you reached a door.

“ah, here’s some familiar territory,” Sans said. “i remember practicin’ knock knock jokes on this door durin’ break. y’know, toriel actually lived in this place for a while; we’d tell each other jokes through the door. then one day, she made me promise to protect the human she was lookin’ after.”

“Frisk?” you asked.

“yep. now, i dunno about you guys, but i say we follow in their footsteps, eh?”

The great door creaked open, and you all stepped out into a wintery forest. You and John gasped; despite the fact that you were used to magical shenanigans, you couldn’t help but be stunned by the such a sight. John wiggled his nose, the magical snow tickling his skin. You trudged through the the thick, white blanket, crossing a (badly) barricaded bridge, and stopping at a sentry post.

“hey, my ol’ sentry post,” Sans commented. “that was where i used to work, y’know, when pap managed to force me outta bed.” In the blink of an eye, he was standing behind the counter. He waved around a pair of tongs. “i’ve got some leftover ‘dogs here. you nerds want some?”

“Wouldn’t those be expired by now?” John asked, looking a little green. Sans winked.

“they would be if they were human-made ‘dogs. these are monster-made, and monster food never spoils. ya could leave one o’ these bad boys lyin’ around for years and it still tastes as good as it did the first day it was made. so, howzaboutit?” You and John shared a glance, before both shrugging and getting a hot dog (which was made surprisingly fast considering, from a logical standpoint, Sans would’ve just gotten the boiling water ready). As Sans said, they were no different than the hot dogs you had had for dinner. 

After the hot dog detour, you carried on through the forest, which Sans referred to as “Snowdin (“heheh, get it? snowdin, snowed in?”)”. You came across many of Papyrus’ puzzles, a plate of spaghetti stuck to a table, a and friendly, immobile snowman, until finally, you arrived in Snowdin Town. You noticed a glow of nostalgia in Sans’ eyesockets.

“hey, look over there,” he said, gesturing to a small pub. “Grillby’s.” He glanced at you. “hey, wanna see the birthplace of a great restaurant?”

“Sure,” you replied. “John?”

“That’s fine with me,” the man replied.

You entered through the wooden door, and entered the original Grillby’s. Sans flicked a light switch and the place was lit up. Amazing how this place still has power, you thought. The restaurant was noticeably smaller than the Grillby’s you were used to, with only enough room to fit a small number of customers. You really felt bad looking at it, but it gave you a feeling of comfort to think that Grillby managed to extend his business. You, Sans, and John approached the bar and took a seat.

Brrt!

Pfft!

John looked around, his eyes wide. You put your head in your hands. Sans looked as if he would piss himself from laughing.

“Oh, haha, really funny, Sans,” you said sarcastically, pulling the old whoopie cushion from under the bar chair. “How the hell are these things still working after all this time?”

“Magic,” replied Sans, waving his hand carelessly.

 

After recovering from the whoopie cushion prank, the journey continued through the snow-covered town. You reached a house that looked remarkably similar to Sans’ and Papyrus’ house on the surface.

“Is this your old place?” You asked Sans. 

“yep. neat, huh? take a look; pap modeled our new house after this one.”

You and John entered and saw that Sans was telling the truth. You stood in awe seeing that the place’s interior looking almost exactly like the skelebro’s new house. Sure, there were some items missing (they were most likely moved to the new location), but overall, it was as if you hadn’t even left town. You glanced upstairs to Sans’ room; you wondered how clean it looked now that everything was (hopefully) moved out. You walked upstairs, approaching the room. Your heart raced as you pushed opened the door, and turned on the lights.

Needless to say, you were pretty disappointed.

While Sans’ mattress and treadmill were gone, there was still trash all over the place, and another self-sustaining tornado in the corner. However, amid the ketchup bottles and crumpled papers on the floor, there was a key. You picked it up, staring at it curiously.

“hey, finished sight-seein’?

You turned, seeing Sans standing at the doorway. 

“Uh...yeah,” you said, the key slipping from your hand and disappearing into the sea of trash. Well, whatever that key was for, it was gone now.

 

Eventually, you all left the snowy paradise behind, moving into the swampland known as Waterfall. It was a poorly lit area, but in the months the monsters had been gone, the bioluminescent Echo Flowers had reproduced greatly, providing a gentle, blue light source that led you through the marsh. You thought you could hear faint voices coming from them. Along the way, you found a telescope. 

“wanna peek?” offered Sans. “since i know you guys, i’ll let ya look through this telescope for free.”

Considering Sans’ little whoopie cushion stunt, you refused, although John was willing to give it a try. He stood up a second later, his eye covered in red paint. Sans doubled over in laughter.

“I fucking knew it,” you mumbled, walking over to John and wiping away the red paint.

“didja...” giggled the skeleton. “didja see what “eye” did there?”

You carried on, Sans continuing his eye-related puns.

“heh, sorry, guess that one was a bit “cornea”, huh? “eye” understand. “eye” should really stop this r-eye-ght now, huh? hey, whatcha doin’?”

You lifted Sans’s hood over his head and pulled the drawstrings, tightening the hoodie over Sans’ face and muffling his voice. Sans continued, not even seeming to mind.

 

Hotland was next on this adventure through the Underground. The sudden switch from humid and warm hair to dry and scorching air was almost too much for you to bear, and you and John had already broke out into a sweat. Sans, however, didn’t seem to be bothered by it, even though he was wearing a large hoodie. God, you were jealous…

Speaking of Sans, he was...oddly quiet during this part of the journey. Sure, he’d make the occasional comment, like when you came across some of Alphys’ forgotten anime DVD’s in her lab or when you found his hot dog stand, but most of the time, he hadn’t much to say. This was especially prominent when you passed a large structure built over the lava.

“Whoa,” gasped John innocently, not noticing Sans’ change in behavior. “What’s that place?” You looked at Sans; he was staring at the structure, an emotion you couldn’t really name glowing in his eyesockets.

“that’s the CORE,” he said simply. “the source of the underground’s power.” The tone in his voice gave you the impression that he didn’t feel very comfortable talking about this.

“Ah man,” John said, peering over the ledge before him. “I really hope no one fell off this.” You winced internally when you saw Sans shoot the man an intense stare.

“Uh, yeah,” you began. “Maybe we should, uh, move on?”

“Mmm,” murmured Sans, walking on. John looked at you, a brow raised. 

“Did I say something wrong?” he asked.

“No, it’s just…” you lowered your voice. “I don’t think Sans likes this place very much. I don’t know why, but let’s not bug him about it, alright?” John nodded in agreement.

Sans’ uneasiness about the CORE was even more noticeable when you entered it through the MTT resort, in which he was dead silent the entire time. His silence was so intense, neither you nor John had the nerve to speak to him. You had to wonder...just what about the CORE bothered Sans the way it did? Once you all arrived at the entrance of a grey house did Sans speak again.

“welp,” he said. “here we are.” He turned to you and John. “hey, wanna know what asgore called this place?” For Sans’ sake, you decided to pretend the events regarding the CORE hadn’t happened.

“What’d he call it?” You asked.

““new home”.” Sans winked. 

“Haha, wow,” you laughed, amused at the poor boss monster’s chronic bad-naming problem. John also had a chuckle. The tense atmosphere faded just a little after that.

Upon entering the house, you noticed how similar the interior design looked to Home, the house Toriel apparently lived in in the Ruins, the only difference being its grey color scheme. Considering this was Asgore’s house, and Toriel was his queen, you weren’t entirely surprised. In fact, it was kinda cute.

You passed through the house, and found yourselves in a golden hallway, the windows giving a few of the empty city below. John stopped, glancing out at the buildings.

“What a small city,” he murmured. “...I can’t believe an entire race had to live here.” A look of guilt flashed on his face. “I can’t believe I wanted you guys back here so badly.”

“hey, fahgettaboudit, bud,” Sans said with a shrug. “no hard feelings. we know you’re better than that now.” John shook his head, his hand gripping the window frame.

“No,” he began. “It’s more than what I’ve done. It’s humanity in general. Humans have always been assholes to anything different. If it’s not the monsters they’re attacking, it’s anyone who looks or acts different than what they’re used to. I makes me wonder, will it ever end?”

There was a silence, as the thoughts buzzed around in your heads. Sans closed his eyesockets, a contemplative look on his face.

“well, kid, i’ll be honest with ya,” he said when his eyesockets reopened. “i doubt it. the world’s filled with assholes, and unless someone snaps their fingers and makes ‘em nice, they’ll probably never change. but that doesn’t mean ya have to let it bother ya. look around, kid; love’s all around ya. if ya just focus on that instead of the bad things, you may just survive this crazy roller-coaster we call life. take it from me, kid; i know from experience.”

“Experience?” John said, looking back at Sans. “What do you mean?”

“heh, you’ll find out in time, kiddo.” You noticed Sans locking eyes with you as he turned around. It then hit you: the timelines, the resets, Sans knew about them. At any moment, he and all the friends you made could be trapped down here again, or...worse. You had to admire Sans for getting by each day with such information, for a lazybones, he was probably the strongest person you’ve ever met.

 

The journey reached its end as you walked through the golden flower garden in Asgore’s throne room, walked down the dark hall, and reached the Underground’s exit, where the barrier once stood. The journey was only four hours long, meaning it was 1 in the morning now. You yawned, your weariness catching up to you.

“Thank you, Sans,” you said. “This was a pretty eye-opening experience.” You paused, noticing Sans’ smile growing when you said the word “eye”. Remembering the eye puns, you glared playfully. “Don’t even think about it.”

“hehe, no problem, goofball,” shrugged Sans. “y’know, now that i think about it, this could be a good gig to make money. picture it: tours through the underground by yours truly.” Sans winked. “Hmm...50 bucks sounds like a good admission fee…”

“Ok, I think it’s time for all of us to go back to camp,” you chuckled, shaking your head. “It’s obviously past all of our bedtimes.” You turned to John, who was staring back into the Underground. “Hey, John, you ready to go?” John turned quickly.

“Oh, yeah,” he said, joining you. “Let’s go.”

You, John and Sans began to descend down the mountainside. Along the way, you stood next to John.

“You alright?” You asked him quietly.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied.

“Good.” You threw an arm over his shoulders. “We care about you, you know.”

“Heh, yeah, I know.” John smiled ever so slightly. “Thank you.” You smiled.

“You’re welcome, friend.”


End file.
